Prepare for Easter -- Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Ash Wednesday, The First Day of Lent

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide

And He said to them, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 NKJV

What was the Father’s business? I’m finding there is not an easy answer.

I wonder why we have neglected what Jesus meant. I’ve never heard anyone preach on the topic. What was the business? How did he identify it? How did he differentiate the Father’s business from the many other things – all good – that people do? When did he do it? How did he do it? Alone or with others?

Constantly besieged by crowds, the Lord still spent hours in contemplation. He never did anything that had not been carefully presented to the Father in prayer. He prayed with such intensity that the disciples recognized the difference and asked to be taught to pray. He taught with such authority that the most learned men asked how he, an uneducated man from Nazareth, could have such knowledge and insight. He saw through the obvious in men’s need and went right to the heart of their agony. When a person was willing to settle for a superficial faith, he pointed to the cost of discipleship. When a man tried to hide his love of things, he quietly identified the greed in his heart.

We’ll learn a little about “the Father’s business” as we proceed through the next 40 days, but each of us will have to spend time alone with the Father as he shows us the intricacies that all his business involves. He’s already shown me things in my own life that I don’t like. I think this may be a long 40 days!

Father, I fear we have a poor concept of what your business is. Help us to learn quickly as we spend time with your Son. Amen

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Spring 2010
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator